Aristotle's View On Pleasure Is The Highest Form Of Happiness

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In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, there is a wide discussion on what can be defined as human happiness. In book I, he points out that the highest of happiness has to be something that is desired for itself and not for the sake of anything else and is something that satisfies all desires with no evil (Aristotle, 10). When taking into account this view on happiness it is clear why Aristotle believes that pleasure is not the highest form of happiness, seeing that we choose it on account of itself, for the sake of happiness. Since Aristotle states that this happiness must be stable with no evil mixed in it, pleasure is inadequate because humans have many desires that are wrong. Moreover, Aristotle states that wealth and honour do not fit the criteria for the same reasons…show more content…
Therefore, he concludes that in order to reach the highest form of happiness, one must be virtuous. I agree with Aristotle on the fact that human happiness means that we must live our lives in a certain way. I will argue in favour of Aristotle’s belief that human happiness cannot be defined by pleasure, wealth, or honour, but should rather be focused on developing and maintaining a virtuous character. To defend Aristotle’s view, I will focus on why pleasure, as well as wealth and honour, are inadequate forms of happiness and why virtue should be strived for instead. In book I and II of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle introduces his view on happiness being the end goal for everyone and argues why pleasure is not the meaning of happiness. Aristotle claims that the root of happiness has to be something that satisfies all desires and is only desired for itself rather than for the sake of something else (Aristotle, 14). Pleasure does not fit this criterion because people choose pleasure on account of itself, since if nothing resulted in pleasure we would still choose it. However, “no one chooses happiness for the sake of these things
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